Chiang Mai’s red cars boiling mad at Grab

By The Nation

 

 

The latest clash between Chiang Mai’s more traditional “red car” taxi trucks and upstart Grab has prompted an appeal for tougher enforcement of the law banning Grab and even lawsuits against people who use the Grab application to summon rides.

 

Tempers were on the surface on Thursday when representatives of the red-car association initially chafed at news reporters taking their photo as they delivered a formal letter to the provincial land transportation office. 

 

Only after a drawn-out battle of words did the red-car reps agree to have their picture taken.

 

Korn Karnganokporn, representing the Chiang Mai public carrier rights advocacy association, along with several drivers of the modified pickup trucks also known as songthaew, delivered their letter of complaint after finding Grab cars still operating in the city.

 

The use of privately owned vehicles for Grab’s public service is illegal in Chiang Mai and there have been several violent incidents between red car and Grab drivers.

 

Korn said that if there was no response to the letter, the transport office would be sued for neglecting its duty.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30375204

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-22

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They just can't deal with healthy competition - they have had it good for so long ripping people off with inflated prices keeping the market to themselves 

 

Move on and get real, the public want value for money not a taxi mafia controlling everything

Grab is an excellent service...  the industry needs to evolve. 

 

But, the outstanding issue is that of licensing - Taxi Drivers and 'Red Car' drivers have to pay for a license to operate - it is this which make the competition unfair. 

 

IF Grab Drivers had to also pay for a license to operate the playing field would be even. 

Or, even better so, eradicate the Graf - why charge people to pay for a license to operate Taxi or Red car, but then also take measures to ensure the Taxi's and Red Cars are fully insured to carry passengers.

 

I can see how this is a little unfair for the Red Car drivers, but I have little sympathy given their aggressive and gang-like behavior, also doubt they are fully legal themselves. 

I live slightly off the beaten track. No song tows, no motorbike taxis. I can get a grab in under a minute. Sorry taxi mafia, your days are numbered.

38 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The latest clash between Chiang Mai’s more traditional “red car” taxi trucks and upstart Grab has prompted an appeal for tougher enforcement of the law banning Grab

internet bad. Thailand 1.0 good. Chiang Mai not Bangkok. No need food delivered.    

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The use of privately owned vehicles for Grab’s public service is illegal in Chiang Mai

time to make it legal instead of protecting the bad mannered and greedy dinosaurs

 

The politicians should consider what's best for the public the tourists and Thailand. I don't think it is the song taew mafia

These guys are operating like a mafia. I dont live in Chiang Mai anymore but even the thai thought the prices were insane. Its not grab drivers that should be shut out. The city siding with these guys is ridiculous...the only place you can get a real taxi is at the airport? Crazy for a city this size. Were well into the 21st century now! They have about 1000 songthaews too many.

The mafia always has a hissy-fit at real legal competition that is superior to their entitled woeful service. Serves you right scumbags, adapt and compete or end up on the heap of stuff people don't want. Normal Thais want Grab and it's going to get bigger ... deal with it or fail.

So you can modify a pick up into a overloading death trap that's not designed to carry more than 4-5 passengers and not recommended by the manufacturer into a taxi with no problems.

if I ever need a taxi I'll use a real car with seat belts and that'll be grab thanks.

Bring back the rickshaw..

Older generation <deleted> that can't accept change.

They are supposed to be used more like buses on routes for that they are fine, but early on they learnt how to rip off tourists.  Grab is very over priced in places like Pattaya and Phuket and certainly needs some regulations but why on earth would someone want to way 400 THB to ride 1 KlM in the back of a pickup truck?  This is 2019, not 1949

42 minutes ago, genobkk said:

 why on earth would someone want to way 400 THB to ride 1 KlM in the back of a pickup truck?  This is 2019, not 1949

I never heard of paying 400 baht for a song taew trip in CNX. The highest price they tried to get from me was 40 baht

As usual, the sword is double-sided.  In a population with so much poverty, opportunities for people to casually improve their financial situation by doing things like driving for Grab should be welcome by the gov't. At the same time, if the transportation industry is glutted with so many people offering their services, nobody can make a decent living, that won't work either. 

 

I wouldn't want to be the ones trying to regulate and sort this all out. Either way, a LOT of people are going to be unhappy. 

Went all over the city between 9am-11am today dozens of red cars idol parked up why? because it was like a ghost town with nothing to grab but great for me saved an hour????   

It appears a lot of people posting here not from CM typically a red taxi fare is 30 baht that is what I have paid from past Maya to Taepae gate cheaper than a grab for the same distance. Most people like Grab because they will come to your door and pick you up. Anyway not many red taxi out after dark

13 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

I never heard of paying 400 baht for a song taew trip in CNX. The highest price they tried to get from me was 40 baht

Evening time, 5km from the moat, constantly quoted 300-500 baht, late night most ridiculous was 1200 baht (Chang Klan road to first ring road)...
(EDIT: this was situation about a year ago, whilst living in Pa Daet, haven't even dared to ask how much they would do the 15km trip down to second ring road 555)

Just arrived back to CNX airport and got quoted by the Airport Taxi 360baht to Samoeng Intersection (108 & 121 intersection), wouldn't even bother with the songthaews, just went over the road out of airport, got a grab and price was 108baht...

I'm all OK with that if the red songtaew drivers start getting checked for driving licenses, driving under influence, driving while on the phone, ripping off customers, exceeding hours, cars exceeding exhaust and noise emissions, failing safety regulations (such as every passenger must use a seatbelt), etc. It is a slippery road they are on.

I caught a red truck from the bus depot in Chiang Mai to the airport earlier this month, I live near the bus depot.  I checked and Grab woulda been B 200 the red truck asked B 150 - I was taking the red truck anyway before the price check as those guys have families and pay fees for running and put out big bucks to buy the right truck, the trucks can't just be any truck.  The Grab drivers are just looking to make a few extra coins and have nothing invested.  I paid the red truck B 250 as he had agreed to not pick up anyone else and just get me to the airport and he took the best route as he knew the city and the traffic.

Grab is fair, one day grab takes over, taxi services will fall. 

3 hours ago, suave said:

I caught a red truck from the bus depot in Chiang Mai to the airport earlier this month, I live near the bus depot.  I checked and Grab woulda been B 200 the red truck asked B 150 - I was taking the red truck anyway before the price check as those guys have families and pay fees for running and put out big bucks to buy the right truck, the trucks can't just be any truck.  The Grab drivers are just looking to make a few extra coins and have nothing invested.  I paid the red truck B 250 as he had agreed to not pick up anyone else and just get me to the airport and he took the best route as he knew the city and the traffic.

Nobody says that Grab is always cheaper.  Just more transparent and standardized, to avoid the oddball taxi driver where your choice is to pay an inflated ransom, or to cave his head in.

An interesting challenge for the crushed cotton fruit "leader" of Thailand and Thailand 4.0  .   Anytime a great technical idea comes along my friends all say "don't do it in Thailand".  Grab has changed forward moving, thinking Vietnam and Malaysia.  Similar services are in China as well, but basket case Thailand is having trouble as usual.  An example of the failings of military minds running a country. 

In Chiang Mai I only use 20 baht "red cars" in the city centre and Grab for longer distances. 

I prefer to use my motor bike to travel on around CNX, car is hopeless because of the extra red bus traffic choking the streets. They think they own the road from triple illegal parking, moving where they want with no signals, choking the air with black exhaust, they are the scourge of the city. When Yinluck was in power she came here and promised light rail/tram around the city due to congestion and get the red buses grounded from the city. Well that promise is same as the third airport that has been coming since 20 years ago. From the airport to my suburb is about 30 minutes I have a regular Taxi/Tuk tuk guy I use; known him for a decade, he will meet me in the car park at the airport only as the mafia who hang around the exit doors have threatened him and passengers many times. Even when my Thai wife meets me some times late at night on my return from outside Thailand they think she is a Grab driver and start pushing and shoving. Time the BIB forget about brown envelopes and allow competition.

I must be missing something here ... surely, a traveling business man, or tourist, if they have the choice, they would prefer to travel in an air-conditioned GRAB vehicle away from the heat and the dust etc. ... whilst a local who has to watch his daily budget a little more carefully is going to opt for the songthaew as he/she has probably done for most of their lives including going to school. Talk about improving tourism in Thailand ... these red car drivers are trying to pull thourism down ... but as usual, they can't see it !

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Korn Karnganokporn, representing the Chiang Mai public carrier rights advocacy association, along with several drivers of the modified pickup trucks

Why should anyone choose not to be taxied around in a modified pickup truck? They are perfectly safe. 

Maybe drivers all know each other. That is probably because they have been around quite a long time. Doesnt make them a mafia.

 

The prices they charge - 20b local, 30b farang - are reasonable. Of course there is no meter, so sometimes they'll try it on, but you just push back. They refuse to take you to places sometime, but it's a shared taxi and they have to make a living.

 

They are a bit from a past generation. Mostly older men, sometimes with wife, driving older vehicles. Pollution is a problem. And the design of the conversion makes it uncomfortable with poor vision.

 

If red trucks and taxi pay a fee for licensing and regulation, so should Grab. Im not sure Grab drivers are so well off - I dont think they figure in depreciation and replacement cost.

 

Transport is totally fundamental to any economy. New transport modes are coming along. There is a need to integrate into a coherent transport strategy mixing cost and convenience for the country, commercial, private, tourist. It's a big job but it will take Thailand into the next phase which includes electric driverless, drones, trams, the BRI ..

I lived in Chiang Mai for a few years and always enjoyed the rides in Red Taxis...
I also enjoy the Tuk Tuks as well as both where things I could not do in my home country...

 

I understand that they gouge, but if me and the missus didn't like the price, we would politely dismiss the offer

 

If I am in a rush, then Grab for sure.... ????

 

12 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Grab is an excellent service...  the industry needs to evolve. 

 

But, the outstanding issue is that of licensing - Taxi Drivers and 'Red Car' drivers have to pay for a license to operate - it is this which make the competition unfair. 

 

IF Grab Drivers had to also pay for a license to operate the playing field would be even. 

Or, even better so, eradicate the Graf - why charge people to pay for a license to operate Taxi or Red car, but then also take measures to ensure the Taxi's and Red Cars are fully insured to carry passengers.

 

I can see how this is a little unfair for the Red Car drivers, but I have little sympathy given their aggressive and gang-like behavior, also doubt they are fully legal themselves. 

It's a Catch 22.  How can Grab drivers pay for a license if what they are doing is illegal?

The real problem with the red cars is, that the price gets ridicously high after 6pm, when you are forced to use them as taxi´s.  Also tuk-tuks is a total rip-off.  This fact has made me stop visiting Chiang-Mai, just as I long ago have stopped visiting Phuket for the same reason.